Relief of Acute Abdominal Pain After Eating Bread

If you find that eating bread is giving you abdominal pain, you may want to consider calling your physician. Breads, and other starchy foods, contain glutens that are known to cause allergic reactions in some people, a condition known as celiac disease. If you are having abdominal pain right now, the best thing to do is wait it out, and it may eventually pass. Eventually, however, if your doctor diagnoses you with a gluten allergy, you will need to consider a gluten-free diet.

Glutens and Celiac Disease

Glutens are found in foods such as wheat, barley and rye. Glutens give bread its elasticity, so that when you bite into a piece, you get that chewy feeling, according to wisegeek.com, Gluten also keeps gases in that are released during the fermentation of the bread dough. Because of this, bread can rise before being baked.

People who are allergic to gluten have celiac disease, according to alternet.org. This is an autoimmune disorder in which your body is unable to handle glutens. This gives you that abdominal pain you may be having along with bloating, excessive gas, chronic diarrhea and even weight loss. This disease affects one in 133 Americans, and in 2003, there were 15,000 new diagnosed patients.

For Now

Don't jump to any conclusions. If eating breads and other starches is consistently giving you abdominal pains, you should consider making a call to your physician. The best thing to do in the moment if you have abdominal pain after eating bread, or any other grainy food, is to wait it out. Sure, you might be experiencing some discomfort, but it may pass. In the meantime, treat yourself right. Take a stomach medicine such as Pepto-Bismol, which comes in a pill and liquid form and can also be taken for nausea and heartburn. Be sure to read and follow the directions carefully. If you have diarrhea, be sure to drink plenty of noncaffeinated fluids to rehydrate yourself. Relax and take deep breaths. Avoid doing physical activity.

Change Your Diet

If you end up having an allergy to glutens, your doctor will more than likely tell you to avoid gluten foods at all costs. This includes starchy carbohydrates. It also includes foods such as some salad dressings, soy sauce, beer and processed lunchmeats. Ask your doctor for a full list of foods to avoid.

There are also foods on the market that are labeled as "gluten free." According to the Food and Drug Administration, if some gluten is removed, the food product can be labeled as such. For example, gluten can be removed from wheat flour so some bread may be safe for you to eat.